Some of the policies relating to this course (such as the drop deadline) are governed by its administrative home, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 120 Schaeffer Hall.
Instructor: Laurent O. Jay
Office: 225L MLH
Office hours: Tentatively Tuesday 9:30-11:00 AM and Thursday 10:30-11:45 AM (subject to changes). I will also be available at other times. Just drop by my office or send me an e-mail to make an appointment.
Phone: (319) 335-0898
E-mail: laurent-jay@uiowa.edu
Mailbox: in Mailroom 15 MLH
DEO contact information: Professor Maggy Tomova, 14 MLH, E-mail: maggy-tomova@uiowa.edu. The Department of Mathematics has offices in 14 MLH. To make an appointment to speak with the DEO, call 335-0714 or contact the Departmental Secretary in 14 MLH.
Course information: Assignments and other information about the course will be given on ICON. Students are responsible for checking regularly ICON. Recommended readings will also be posted on the course web page at http://www.math.uiowa.edu/~ljay/m3800_18f2.html.
Prerequisites:
Description of course:
This is NOT a course on learning MATLAB! This is a mathematically oriented course on the mathematics of numerical methods (that may be used by MATLAB). If you are looking for a course to learn MATLAB then you should take for example the course ME:4111 Numerical Calculations. Topics to be covered:This course plan may be modified during the semester. Such modifications will be announced in advance during class periods and on the course web page; the student is responsible for keeping abreast of such changes.
Objectives and goals of the course: This course will cover some basic topics of numerical analysis at an introductory level (see the course description above for the list of topics to be covered). The main objective will be to have a clear understanding of the ideas and techniques underlying the numerical methods, results, and algorithms that will be presented, where error analysis plays an important role. You will then be able to use this knowledge to analyze the numerical methods and algorithms that you will encounter, and also to program them effectively on a computer. This knowledge will be useful in your future to solve various problems numerically.
Course pack (required): My class notes are available as a course pack at the IMU bookstore for $12.00.
Textbook (recommended):
Class procedures: The majority of each class period will be lecture oriented. It is strongly advised to read the material to be discussed before coming to class. Therefore, if there is a difficult point, you will know beforehand where it arises, so that you can benefit from the lecture more effectively. If a point remains unclear you can ask questions in class. Readings may be assigned. Standard out-of-class preparation is at least six hours per week.
Additional useful readings:
Homework: Will be assigned approximately weekly. Presentation of your results is very important. Scratch paper will not be accepted. Do not expect good grades if your solution to a problem is poorly communicated. Like for everything, if you cannot explain something in great details, you certainly have not fully understood it. The importance of doing homework cannot be overemphasized, most of human people learn by doing, not only by watching and/or listening. Late homework may not be accepted, you need to request permission first or to provide a reasonable justification. Late homework is not accepted once a correction is given. Use of symbolic mathematical software to solve problems is not allowed.
Grading procedures: In assigning grades, the plus/minus grading system will be used. The A+ grade will be used only in extraordinary situations. The final grade will be based as follows:
The 2 tests and final examination are open books and open notes examinations. There will be NO question related to MATLAB in the tests. Smartphones/computers are not allowed. Bring a simple scientific calculator, graphing calculators are fine.
Final examination: The final examination will be held on Thursday, December 13, 2018, 5:30-7:30 PM in room LR2 VAN . All students should plan on being at the UI through the final examination period. Once the Registrar has announced the date, time, and location of each final exam, the complete schedule will be published on the Registrar's web site and will be shared with instructors and students. I will announce the final examination date and time for this course in class, here, and at the course ICON site once it is known. Do not plan your end of the semester travel plans until the final exam schedule is made public. It is your responsibility to know the date, time, and place of the final exam. The final examination will be done with open books and open notes. Smartphones/computers are not allowed. Bring a scientific calculator.
Course policies: Your responsibilities to this class and to your education as a whole-include attendance and participation, check in particular the CLAS policies related to student attendance and absences. You are also expected to be honest and honorable in your fulfillment of assignments and in test-taking situations (the College's policy on plagiarism and cheating is on-line in the College's Student Academic Handbook). You have a responsibility to the rest of the class-and to the instructor-to help create a classroom environment where all may learn. At the most basic level, this means that you will respect the other members of the class and the instructor, and treat them with the courtesy you hope to receive in turn. Smart phones, cell phones, and pagers must be on silent mode during lecture and they are not allowed in class during exams. If you do bring a phone or pager to an exam, you may leave it in the front of the class during the exam. If a student is found to have a phone or pager during an exam, the phone or pager will be taken from the student and procedures for cheating will be followed.
Student Collaboration on homework: The homework for this course is designed to help you master your knowledge related to the topics covered during lecture. As such, you may discuss on the homework problems with others or use online resources. However, please be aware that to master the skills needed for this class, practice is required and that to do well on the final exam you will need to work many of these problems multiple times without help. Be sure to test your knowledge by doing much of the homework on your own. Students are allowed to partially collaborate with others on homework through discussion for the most difficult problems. However, each student must turn in their own homework and it must not be a copy of someone else homework. Students are responsible for understanding this policy; if you have questions, ask for clarification. Word per word copies will not be tolerated. In extreme cases students may be requested to stop any kind of collaboration with other students.
Computer languages: The predominant programming languages used in numerical analysis are Matlab and Fortran. They are available on the Linux network in MLH (see below). Alternatives to Matlab are Octave and Scilab. For programming assignments, no other language will be accepted, except Python.
Linux computer accounts: Linux computer accounts are available on the Linux network in MLH (computer lab rooms B5 and 301). Set up a CLAS Linux Account here by just entering your hawkid and passphrase. To access your Linux computer account remotely. you can use FastX, a graphical Linux virtual desktop environment remotely accessible in your web browser. As long as you have an active Hawk ID and you login at least once in the past year, your CLAS Linux account will remain active. If you fail to use your account in a year, you will receive three notices, and then your CLAS Linux account will be deleted. Also, once your Hawk ID becomes inactive, your CLAS Linux account will be deleted.
Grader: Aarati Mahat, office: B20J MLH, mailbox is in 15 MLH (MacLean Hall), phone: 335-3650, e-mail: aarati-mahat@uiowa.edu.
Administrative Home: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is the administrative home of this course and governs its add/drop deadlines, the second-grade-only option, and other policies. These policies vary by college (https://clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook).
Electronic Communication: Students are responsible for official correspondences sent to their UI email address (uiowa.edu) and must use this address for all communication within UI (Operations Manual, III.15.2).
Accommodations for Disabilities: UI is committed to an educational experience that is accessible to all students. A student may request academic accommodations for a disability (such as mental health, attention, learning, vision, and physical or health-related condition) by registering with Student Disability Services (SDS). The student should then discuss accommodations with the course instructor (https://sds.studentlife.uiowa.edu/).
Nondiscrimination in the Classroom: UI is committed to making the classroom a respectful and inclusive space for all people irrespective of their gender, sexual, racial, religious or other identities. Toward this goal, students are invited to optionally share their preferred names and pronouns with their instructors and classmates. The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination and harassment against individuals on the basis of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, and other identity categories set forth in the University's Human Rights policy. For more information, contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at diversity@uiowa.edu or diversity.uiowa.edu.
Academic Integrity: All undergraduates enrolled in courses offered by CLAS have, in essence, agreed to the College's Code of Academic Honesty. Misconduct is reported to the College, resulting in suspension or other sanctions, with sanctions communicated with the student through the UI email address.
CLAS Final Examination Policies: The final exam schedule for each semester is announced around the fifth week of classes; students are responsible for knowing the date, time, and place of a final exam. Students should not make travel plans until knowing this final exam information. No exams of any kind are allowed the week before finals. ( https://clas.uiowa.edu/faculty/teaching-policies-resources-examination-policies/).
Making a Complaint: Students with a complaint should first visit with the instructor or course supervisor and then with the departmental executive officer (DEO), also known as the Chair. Students may then bring the concern to CLAS ( https://clas.uiowa.edu/students/handbook/student-rights-responsibilities/).
Understanding Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of students, faculty, and staff. All members of the UI community must uphold the UI mission and contribute to a safe environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual harassment must be reported immediately. For assistance, definitions, and the full University policy, see https://osmrc.uiowa.edu/.